Laundry-marker.



G. L. DIXON.

LAUNDRY MARKER.

APPLICATION run!) 1220.2,1907.

908,847, Patented Jan.5,1909.

THE. NORRL; PETERS ca, WASHINGTUN. D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. DIXON, OF DOLGEVILLE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO DIXON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

LAUNDRY-MARKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 2, 1907.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

Serial No. 404,879.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. DIxoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dolgeville, county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Laundry-Markers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to laundry markers and particularly to the inking and impression mechanism thereof, and the objects of the invention are to provide for utilizing a liquid ink and to preferably automatically ink the type prior to each im ression.

Another object is to provi e simple hand operated mechanism for producing the impression, the impression movement being accomplished by the hands of the operator while the operator is holding the laundry to be marked in place on the platen.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention, and referring thereto Figure 1 is a section on line as -40 Fig. 4, showing the parts in normal position with the inking pad resting against the type. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the position of the parts after the first step in the movement wherein the ink pad has been withdrawn from the type. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the position of the parts with the ink tube depressed into horizontal position and the platen brought into position ready to make the impression; dotted lines showing the position of the parts when the platen has been moved to make the impression. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the device. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the ink tube and its carrier. Fig. 6 is. an enlarged transverse section taken longitudinally through the ink tube on line as -w Fig. 2.

The device comprises a base plate 1 having lower side standards 2 to which are bolted upper side plates 3. A shaft 4 is loosely mounted in the side plates 3, and carried on shaft 4 are three type wheels 5 each provided with numerals, and one type wheel 6 which is provided with letters. Attached to the respective type wheels 5 are three blades 7, each being slidable radially in the ty e wheel, with a compression spring 8 below each blade 7 to normally raise 1t. The lower portion of each blade has a round stem 9. A curved index plate 10 is arranged on top of the side plates 3 and is provided with threegslotslll through which the respective blades 7 project. Each slot 11 at intervals is provided with an enlargement 12 ada ted to receive the round shank 9 of the bla e 7, and thus lock the associated type wheel from movement when the round shank 9 of a blade stands within an enlargement 12. By deressing a blade 7 its shank 9 is disengaged rom the enlar ement 12 and the blade may then be moved in either direction along its slot 11 to rotate its t pe wheel into the desired position. In this manner the ty e Wheels containing numerals may be q uic y set for any number, the plate 10 having indicating numerals, as shown, to designate the position of the t pe wheels according to the positions of the b ades 7. The type wheel 6 is connected with a knurled thumb piece 13 carrying a frame 14 with three index fingers 15, 16 and 17 An index plate 18, provided with three rows of letters, each row containing one-third of the alphabet, is provided over which the index fingers 15, 16 and 17 travel. The index finger 15 is the longest and travels over the right hand row of letters. The index finger 16 is shorter and travels over the central row of letters, while the index finger 17 is the shortest and travels overthe left hand row of letters. The index fingers are s aced apart so that only one at a time stan s over. its row of letters. Thus by manipulating the knurled thumb piece 13 either of the index fingers may be moved over its associated row of one-third the al habet to accordingly position the type w eel 6. For example the type wheels may be set to print S648.

The platen 19 is carried by a rock bar 20 j ournaled at 21 in the upper end of an arm 22, the latter being ivoted at 23 to an arm 24, the latter being pivoted at 25 to a bracket 26 on the frame 1. The arms 22 and 241 constitute a toggle and a flat spring 27 extends across the joint between arms 22 and 24 and serves to normally hold the arms flexed slightly, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. At one end of the platen 19 are two short pins 28 which enable the piece of laundry, for example a fine handkerchief, being attached close to its edge to the pins 28, while the right hand of the o erator stretches the handkerchief flat an holds it across the platen 19 during the printing operation. Attached to the back of the arm 22 is a plate 29 which may be called the palm plate as it affords a surface for the palms of the hands to rest against in operating the device, and also serves as a partial support for the piece of laundry being marked. A bracket 30 i 38 and a lug 40 which projects from an intermediate point of the lever 32. In the upper end of the inking tube 36 is a cap 41 having a fianged top 42 which closely fits over the inking tube, and 'the top 42 is provided with perforations 43, as shown clearly in Fig. 6. Arranged within the flanged top 42 is an 2 0 inking pad 44, and the ink which is contained within the tube 36, during the operation of the device, is caused to flow through the perforations 43 and saturate the inking pad 44 at least once after each impression,

as will be explained. The lever 32 has an orifice 45 through which (-iprojects a stationary post 46, the latter exten ing up from the base 1, and a coilspring 47 is arranged around the post 46 between the lever 32 and the base 1.

The 'sprin '47 serves to normally hold the lever 32 e evated in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, while spring 39 serves to normally hold the inking tube 36 at the angle shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The parts normally stand in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the ink pad against the type and the roller 31 bearing against the end of the finger 34. The 0 erator takes the piece of laundry to be mar red in both hands and stretches it fiat laying its edgeportion on top of the platen 19, there being agage 48 at the backof the platen to enable the piece of laundry to be properly positioned on the laten. The lower portion of the piece lies own in 'front of the palm plate 29, while the thumbs and palms of the operator hold the piece in position and press against the palm plate, and as the arms 22 and 24 swing forward as one piece on pivot 25, the roller 31 50 rides over the end of finger 34 and swings down the lever 32 thus withdrawing the ink pad during its first movement straight away from the type, thus preventing blurring of the type by the ink pad, and at the completion of this first movement the parts stand in the position shown in Fig. 2. Continued forward pressure is applied until the parts move into the position shown in Fig. 3 in which it will be seen that the platen is very close to the type and that the ink tube 36 has been swung downby roller 31 into a horizontal position, and during this downward swinging movement of the inktube "the liquid therein is caused to wash forward and perco- 65 latethrough the orifices 43 to moisten the ink pad 44 so that the latter will be in condition ready for inking the type the next time. The-means 31, carried by the toggle, operates on the ink tube at a point adjacent to the pivot of the latter so that as it rides over the ink tube, it whips the tube violently down and causes the ink to be forced through the ink pad by centrifugal action. To produce this result the ink tube extends inwardly from the pad toward the pivot 35, and the pad extends tangentially of the pivotal motion of the tube, as shown. After the parts have reached the position shown in Fig. 3, the operator presses with his palms mainly at the toggle or joint of the levers 22 and 24 and 30 thereby straightens them, thus forcing the platen, with the piece of laundry on it, against the type and making the impression. Immediately thereafter the operator releases his pressure and permits theparts to spring back. and removes the piece of laundry from the platen while the parts are springing back. The parts are restored by the retractive movements of springs 39 and 47. Spring 39 swings up the ink tube 36 which acts against roller 31 to throw back the levers 24 and 32, and at the same time spring 47 serves to lift lever 32.

This operation of marking a piece of-laundry is very quickly performed, as the hands, after having placed the article in position on the platen, are not shifted but are kept in place with the palms resting against the palm plate, and the movement is a very natural movement taking but a fraction of a second for its performance.

What I claim is 1. In a laundry marker, a movable support, an ink tube pivoted thereon and having a pad at its outer end, the tube having an ink chamber extending inwardly toward the pivotal axis from the padand the face of the pad being tangential to the direction of motion on the pivot, a platen, and means cooperating with the platen for engaging the ink tube close to the pivot of the ink tube to whip the ink tube on its pivot and force the ink by its momentum, against and through the pad.

2. In a laundry marker, a movable sup- 1 5 port, an ink tube pivoted thereon, a platen, a toggle connected to the platen, and means carried by said toggle to engage the movable support to depress the ink tube, and to subsequently engage the ink tube to whip it forci- 2 bly on its pivot and force the ink through the pad by centrifugal force.

3. In a laundry marker, a frame, a type wheel thereon, a lever pivoted to the frame, an ink tube pivoted to the lever, an ink pad at the outer end of the ink tube, a platen, a toggle carrying the platen, and -means on said toggle engaging the lever to depress the same and subse uently engagingthe ink tube to whip said tube violently on its pivot and cause the ink to be forced through the pad by centrifugal action.

4. In alaundry marker, a frame, a type wheel thereon, a lever pivoted to the frame, an ink tube pivoted to'the lever, an ink pad on the ink tube, means normally holding the lever and tube raised with the ink ad against the type wheel, an arm pivote to the frame, another arm pivoted to the first arm, a platen carried bythe latter arm, and a roller carried by one of said arms for operating said lever and said ink tube when the platen is o erated.

5. In a aundry marker, a frame, a type wheel thereon, a lever pivoted to the frame, an ink tube pivoted to the lever, an ink pad on the ink tube, means normally holding the lever and tube raised with the ink ad against the type wheel, an arm pivote to the frame, another arm pivoted to the first arm, a platen carried by the latter arm, and a roller carried by one of said arms for o crating said lever and said ink tube when t 1e platen is operated, the end of said lever having a curved finger to receive the pressure of said roller and ada ted to form a seat for said roller to hold t e ink tube away from the t pe wheel.

6. In a aundry marker, a frame, a type Wheel thereon, means for inking the type wheel, an arm ivoted to the frame, an arm pivoted to the st arm, a rock bar ournaled on the second arm, a platen carried by the rock bar, and a palm plate on the second arm.

7. In a laundry marker, a frame, a type wheel thereon, means for inking the type wheel, an arm ivoted to the frame, an arm pivoted to the first arm, a rock bar journaled on the second arm, a platen carried by the rock bar, a palm plate on the second arm, short pins on one end of the platen, and a ga e at the back of the platen.

n testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles Cal. this 27th day of November 1907.

GEORGE L. DIXON.

In presence of- GEORGE T. HACKLEY, FRANK L. A. GRAHAM. 

